STORY 41

The young neko swung herself gracefully down from one branch of the tree onto a lower, thicker one. She crouched, her senses alert, sniffing the fresh midday air. It was a cooler day than usual, but not cold, and the pleasant caress of the sun warmed her face. Her striking, greenish yellow eyes swept slowly over the underbrush some distance below, seeking movement. She pushed back a strand of her mid-length hair which had partly covered her left eye. She was rather proud of her hair -thick but smooth, pleasant to the touch, mostly ginger yet streaked with blond. At that moment, however, she needed both eyes clear to focus on the forest ground. That was where she would find her lunch.

Her name was Chiyamel, and she had picked up the scent of neeras. She knew they were close, but she had not yet found them. Perhaps they were aware of her presence, and were hiding. In which case, this would become a waiting game. If they emerged from hiding, they would not escape her. She licked her lips in anticipation, smiling quietly to herself. She estimated there were at least three of them, which would make them a reasonably filling meal. She considered climbing down the tree and seeking them out, but from up here, she was able to survey a greater area.

There was a loud rustle behind her. She turned, quickly, tensing. A short distance away, between the trees, a giant naga was approaching. Chiyamel's eyes widened, and she silently cursed herself. She had been so focused on staying downwind from the neeras that she had neglected the risk of something coming up downwind of her. If the naga had been any more quiet, she would not have noticed her until it was too late. Straightening up, she darted towards the thick trunk of the tree, and began to climb down as fast as she possibly could, adrenaline pumping through her heart.

“Aww, sweety, don't run!” the naga called out to her, with an alluring little laugh. “I'm just going to eat you.” She slithered up faster, and Chiyamel tensed further. She was not going to make it. She looked down, assessing the distance to the ground, and the risk of breaking a limb if she jumped. Too bad. She was out of options. Taking a quick, deep breath, she released her grip on the tree, and launched herself into a freefall. Turning in the air, she landed with a thump on her side, and grimaced. Scrambling to her feet, painfully, she prepared to dart away - when a large tail whipped round and swept her off balance, its tip wrapping round her, lifting her off the ground. She squealed with fright, and struggled with all her might to push herself free.

“Let me go!” she yelped, then groaned, dizzy, as the tail turned her round to face her captor. The naga had dark scales, mocha skin and long, lovely brown hair cascading round an attractive, grinning face. Her eyes were bright green, and quite lovely too; had this been a neko, rather than a deadly predator, Chiyamel would have found herself drawn in by those eyes. As it was, she struggled desperately while the naga picked her up from her tail, and held her closer to her face.

“Come on, I'm not that scary, am I?” the naga cooed. “Lil' old me.”

“You're a giant predator who wants to eat me!” Chiyamel retorted. “Of course you're scary!” She squirmed in her hand. “Look, please, just… put me down.”

“Aww, sugar, you know I'm not going to do that.” The naga brought her closer to her face. “Let me have a look at you.” Her warm breath teased the neko's skin, and she flinched at the proximity of her mouth, trembling. From this close up, she could see the detailed patterns in the naga's fascinating green eyes, the smoothness of her darkish skin, the softness of her full lips, around a wide, smiling mouth… She could not help but notice, too, how absolutely gigantic the naga's breasts were. Swelling a short distance beneath her, smooth, rounded and full, with large, perky nipples -Chiyamel had never seen any quite so big. Under different circumstances, she would have felt a distinct attraction. But she had no desire to end up inside the beautiful naga's body, and be digested by it. She moistened her lips, tense and frightened.

“Perhaps we could talk a bit…”

“A chat before lunch?” The naga smiled. “Oh, sweety. And you're so cute, too. Normally I'd say yes, and we could even have a bit of fun. You're such a pretty little thing. But right now, I'm just very hungry. I had almost nothing for breakfast, and a girl's gotta eat, you know? How else am I supposed to stay fit?” She winked.

Chiyamel slumped between the predator's fingers, hope abandoning her. Chagrined, she noticed, on the forest ground far below, four little neeras emerging from a pile of leaves, and scampering off as fast as they could, some glancing back at her as they went. There goes lunch… She shivered. Now I'm going to be lunch instead!

“What's your name?” she asked, almost in a whisper, and gazed into the naga's lovely green eyes.

The predator gave her a smile. “I'm Malika. What's your name, sexy?”

“Chiyamel,” she said, softly. Struggling against the shivers wracking her body, she tried to sound calm, summoning her courage. “Can we get this over with now?”

“Well, aren't you a brave little neko? It's ok, honey. I promise, you might even enjoy-” She brought her right up close to her mouth, and extended her tongue, pressing its tip against the catgirl's legs. She gave her a slow, long lick. “Mmmm… Oh, sweety, you are tasty!”

Chiyamel shivered, this time with a strange mix of feelings. Fear still pounded at her heart, but Malika's hot breath, bathing her skin, caused her a tingle that was not entirely uninjoyable. The naga's giant tongue, licking all the way up her body, made her gasp, and she squirmed, despite herself, with unbidden pleasure. Malika smiled.

“I'm glad you like that. Let's get your clothes off. I'm too hungry to give you the full treatment, but there's no reason we can't have a little bit of fun.” Chiyamel trembled, but barely struggled or protested as the naga's big, nimble fingers swiftly disrobed her, exposing her bare body to the faintly cool air -and to the warmth of her breath.

“Mmm,” Malika said again, sensuously, as she looked her over. The neko had a slim, healthy build. Her breasts were rather small, but pretty. Malika found that they suited her. Playfully, she tickled the catgirl's tummy with one finger. As Chiyamel wriggled, with a nervous, frightened laugh, the naga grinned. “I bet you turn quite a few heads in your tribe. Have you got a boyfriend?” Her finger trailed up the neko's chest, between a stroke and a tickle, until it reached her little breasts, and pressed against them softly. The catgirl gasped, squirming, and shook her head. “Girlfriend?” Malika asked. Chiyamel shook her head again, struggling against the wave of pleasure rushing through her body. Malika shrugged. “Your tribe doesn't know what it's missing, then.” She rubbed the catgirl's bare little breasts, and flicked them gently, playfully with her fingertip. Chiyamel moaned, arcing in the naga's hand.

“Please d-don't eat me!” she breathed out, between gasps, a mere moment before Malika's tummy growled.

“Shhh… It's ok, honey,” the naga soothed, her voice seductive, her eyes twinkling, beautiful. Gently, she extended her tongue again, and licked the neko's now naked body, slowly and sensuously, breathing her hot breath over her bare skin. Chiyamel gasped and wriggled frantically, overwhelmed by instinctive pleasure, squirming with unwilling delight as Malika's damp tongue pressed over her bare crotch, and up over her breasts… As she licked the tasty catgirl, and licked her again, Malika began to rub her hand over her own body, responding to -and stimulating- her own natural urges. Chiyamel's flavour, however, filled her tastebuds, and her empty belly rumbled in anticipation. She really did need to eat. It was almost a shame, in a way, but she was certain the neko would be delicious.

She licked her over once more, then clasped her feet and ankles gently between her moist lips, and began to suck her in. Chiyamel tensed, and looked down to see her legs vanish up to the knees between the naga's beautiful lips. She yelped, and tried to pull them back out. Malika smiled, and sucked in harder, slurping her up to the waist. Her upper lip pressed against the catgirl's crotch, causing her to squirm again despite herself.

“I d-” she gasped, struggling to speak. “I don't… want…”

Malika stroked the little neko's pretty hair, fondly, then sucked her in up to her breasts. Inside her mouth, she manoeuvred her skilful tongue to play round -and between- Chiyamel's legs, making her wriggle with frantic, helpless pleasure.

“No, don't!” Chiyamel squeaked, struggling for her life as she panted with unwanted desire. Malika ignored her final plea. Pressing her finger softly against her head, against her silky red hair, she pushed the highly aroused, frightened catgirl all the way into her mouth, and closed her lips with a slurp.

Mm-mmm… she moaned, appreciatively, as she swished the little morsel round inside her mouth, absorbing her flavour and enjoying her little struggles. Like most nekos, she tasted exquisite, and Malika savoured her for a while, drawing out her taste for as long as she could. As she did so, she continued to rub and stroke her own body, teasing her more sensative areas, working up her sense of arousal. Finally, when it seemed there was no more flavour to get out of Chiyamel, and her little body was utterly drenched with saliva, she tilted her head back ever so slightly, and jolted her tongue to send the catgirl sliding into her throat. She felt Chiyamel's last, desperate struggle, her frantic attempt to grip her tongue or gums, but to no avail. The wet catgirl slipped into Malika's gullet, and she swallowed her with a gulp.

“Aaah…” She breathed out a sigh of satisfaction, and half closed her eyes to relish the feel of the neko's lump passing down inside her chest. A few seconds later, Chiyamel entered her empty stomach. For a moment, the neko inside her did nothing -other than provide her with the pleasant feel of food in her tummy-, and Malika tilted her head, surprised, waiting to feel something else. Then it started. The terrified catgirl launched herself frantically against the inner walls of her stomach, pounding them, trying desperately to climb them, back up to freedom. Malika grinned, and gave her tummy a little pat. The jolt was enough to send the neko inside her tumbling off balance, falling back onto her stomach `floor', and the naga giggled. She rubbed her tummy, content, and patted it again.

“Thanks there, sugar. You were delicious. Now be a good girl, and wriggle around in there. You've got me quite horny already.” She slipped her hand down from her tummy to her waistline, fondling herself, moaning softly as her lunch continued to struggle in her stomach.

After a short while, however, she stopped, and fell quiet. A new scent drifted to her nostrils. The scent of a lone human, close by. She smiled, slowly, her smile broadening into a grin.

“Perfect timing,” she whispered, pleased, and slithered off silently to meet the newcomer.

* * *

Isham had adjusted with some difficulty to life in Safe Harbour. It had, after all, come as a shock. He had woken up one morning hoping to pursue his life with Milly on the basis of a new understanding, and a few hours later they had parted company, saddened and resolute in their belief that living together any longer was impossible. She had brought him here, asked Jade to look after him, and left him. His mind, as he watched her leave, had been aswirl. His heart had ached, with a mixture of feelings he could not express, fully admit to or even understand.

Days had passed. Jade had asked two of the villagers to take him in, for a while, until, together, they could all build him a home. And so, still dazed, he had gratefully accepted a bed in a hut belonging to a pleasant couple in their late thirties, Dekoj and Tayene. Like so many others, they had ended up here as the result of a dimensional shift, snatched from a world he had never heard of, and a smallish town on a coast with its back to a blistering desert. They still wore, at times, the loose white clothing suited to the climate of their homeworld, and which contrasted sharply with their very dark skin. The inhabitants of Safe Harbour were a diverse bunch.

On his second day, he had woken determined to fit in, and make himself useful in whatever way he could. He had talked to Jade, to the village elder, to Dekoj and Tayene and several others, and for the time being they agreed he could help perform simple but necessary tasks, such as gathering wood and water, taking part in the preparation of communal meals, and so on. He had set to the task, grateful for the ability to give something back to his hosts. Some expressed an interest when he told them he had once been a writer, of sorts. He had left his written stories at Milly's, but promised to retell them from memory, and come up with new ones. And so, in a way, he had become a villager.

A few days after his arrival, the community was plunged into crisis when a giant tried to attack the village, almost making it past a wounded Jade. Isham had stood with the villagers then, facing the dreadful predator intent on their destruction. Quelling his own terror, he had stood firm, as the giant thundered towards them, impossibly massive. The giant's footsteps had shaken the ground beneath his own feet, and he had tasted fear so great he could barely have moved had he wanted to. But he had faced it, with his fellow villagers, and for Jade. And when the injured giantess heroically came to their rescue, and they relished their common survival, he found he really was part of the village now.

Even though he missed Milly more than he would have thought possible.

She had come to visit him, just once. He had thought she probably would. It had been an awkward reunion. Neither of them had much to say to the other. He remained unwilling to live in her home if she continued to eat people, and she was equally unwilling to make that sacrifice, convinced as she was that he was asking too much, making demands rather than seeking compromise. They had stated their positions again, and had not argued. She had not stayed long. She was obviously relieved to find him well, and to see that he was adapting to his new life. The sadness in her eyes, though, was unmistakable, a mirror of his own. She had left without him, and, once again, he had watched her walk away.

He felt, then, that she would probably not come back any time soon. There would be no point.

“The look on your face, it often makes me wonder what you're thinking.”

He turned, at the sound of a pleasant, feminine voice. Adjusting his hold on an awkward bundle of sticks and small branches, he nodded in greeting at the young woman sitting on a crude bench outside one of the huts.

“Elia. Good morning. I'm sorry; I hadn't seen you there.”

“I might feel offended at that.” She smiled, easily, and stood. “But then, you were lost in thought.”

“And struggling not to drop these branches.” He returned the smile.

“Oh, let me help!” She walked quickly towards him.

“No, it's ok. Thanks, but I've got them.”

She gave him a curious, faintly amused smile, brushing her long hair back. “There's no shame in asking for help, you know. Even from a woman. We all work together here.”

“So I'd gathered. But I'm ok.”

She flashed him a quick grin. “And stubborn. All right; I'll walk beside you, and watch you try not to drop them.”

Isham chuckled, and resumed walking as he looked at her. Fairly short, rather slender, Elia had what he could only describe as a casual gacefulness, a nobility of bearing which she somehow combined with a perfectly relaxed look. She was attractive, in a canonical sense, with smooth, beautiful features -the kind that might serve as the model for a statue. Except that there was nothing cold or lifeless about her. She exuded a comfortable, friendly warmth. Her green eyes were bright, intelligent and curious. Everyone seemed to be at ease around her. Yet Isham, at first, had felt uneasy.

It had not taken him long to work out why. She reminded him too much of someone else. Peana. A woman he had known only for a few minutes, before Milly had eaten her. But in those few minutes… She had left an impression on him he had never quite forgotten. He had hated Milly, at first, for eating her. Those had been the early, uncertain days of their relationship, and that particular rift had taken some effort to heal.

He looked at Elia again, as they walked. Peana had been taller. And her hair had been darker, as had her skin. The same smoothness, though. The same air of nobility, reflecting both a certain personality, and, of course, an upbringing. Like Peana, Elia spoke with an accent that was somewhat aristocratic, albeit utterly devoid of arrogance. A similar intelligence in their eyes -Peana's grey, Elia's green-, which seemed to probe into his mind, reacting with kindness, interest and sometimes gentle amusement to what they found.

There were differences, of course. Elia was more outgoing. There had been far less casualness in Peana's behaviour. Warmth, yes, and an ability to laugh, but always a little guarded, more so than Elia. At least in those few minutes he had known her… They were not the same woman. But Elia reminded him sufficiently of Peana for it to be troubling. Even if he did not know why it should trouble him.

“You're looking at me, and thinking,” Elia remarked. There was a faint, almost musical quality to her voice. To that upper class air which sounded so natural. “What are you thinking?”

“I'm thinking… of someone,” he said, hesitating. “Of someone else.”

“Ah.” Elia absorbed that. “And you see something of her in me?”

He nodded, quietly.

“Hmm.” She looked straight ahead, towards the centre of the small village. “I'm not sure what to think of that.” Her tone was thoughtful, more than anything else. He shrugged.

“Don't think anything of it. People we used to know… It's like a different world, isn't it?”

She looked at him once more. “I heard you came on Felarya Express. You were here willingly.”

He gave an awkward laugh. “Yes. Which was very foolish of me. As I found out rather too late.”

She smiled. It was a friendly smile, one of understanding. “At least you're still alive. Mistakes that don't kill you, you can learn from them.”

He nodded, adjusting his grasp on the sticks and branches once more. “I don't think I've heard your story,” he said, curious. “How did you end up here? If you don't mind my asking.”

She shook her head, long brown hair swishing attractively. “Not at all. There's nothing very unusual about what happened to me. I was out walking near the cliffside, when suddenly there was this bright light, I felt giddy… and I ended up in a strange forest. I took a step backwards, and I found myself glued up in a giant spiderweb.” She smiled thinly. “I can tell you, I was terrified. It was like something out of a nightmare. I was sure I was going to die, even though I couldn't quite believe it… I thrashed about, got myself completely stuck…”

“And Jade rescued you,” Isham said, quietly.

Elia nodded. “Jade rescued me. She was the first to find me, before the dridder came back, or before any other predator. I was incredibly lucky. She got me out of the web, she told me I was going to be all right, and she brought me here.” A pause. “All of us here… We'd be dead without her. She's saved all our lives.”

“I know,” Isham said softly. He was silent for a moment. “Sometimes, I wish…” He stopped.

“Yes?” Again, those curious eyes searched his face.

He gave a half-smile. “Nothing. It's not important.” He had been about to say, `Sometimes, I wish Milly were more like Jade'. But she wasn't, and it seemed now she might never be. Jade saved humans, while Milly still ate them. So why did he still care about her so much? Why did something in his mind, in his heart, insist that she was not a bad person, and that, somehow, they would find a way to work things out? How could he have such feelings for a woman who devoured and digested his own kind, and who refused to believe it was wrong? Why did she mean so much to him ; how had that happened?

The answer, of course, was not difficult to find. They had lived together, spent every day together, talked and got to know each other. He had discovered a gentle side to Milly, a kindness which few other humans experienced, or believed genuine. In such circumstances, it had been impossible to see her as a monster. She was a person, a woman… a friend.

He sighed, as they reached the central area of the small village, and he deposited the branches in the usual place, against a wall.

“I've got a lot of thinking to do,” he said.

Elia gave him a sympathetic look. “It'll take you time to adjust to this place. But we'll support you. We all help one another out.”

He smiled, grateful, meeting her gaze. “I know. Thank you.” She did look rather like Peana. Although Peana's face was beginning to blur in his memory. Why was he thinking of her now? For a long time, he had tried not to dwell on what had happened. He had overcome his desperate, helpless fury at Milly having eaten her. They had moved on from that, building a new understanding, becoming friends. Peana's memory had been sacrificed to that friendship. It bothered him that she was dwelling on his mind now. It reminded him, inescapably, of his first, difficult days with the giantess - of what Milly was, and what she did.

“I'll be out in the forest,” he said. “Close by.”

“Don't wander off too far,” Elia cautioned him. “Although you shouldn't be bothered by any predators this close to the village.” Jade's ferocious determination to protect the humans in her care was well known to all local predators.

Isham nodded. “I just need a bit of time to myself. I won't be long.”

* * *

The village was not a noisy place, for the most part. Even under Jade's protection, its inhabitants knew there was little sense in drawing attention to themselves. Conversations were not hushed, nor laughter muted, but there was fairly little shouting. Still, as he walked beyond its edge and into the relative shade of the trees, even the faint buzz of conversation, the hum of everyday life, seemed to fade away quite quickly, giving way to the sounds of nature. The whisper of wind in the leaves; the croaking of strange, unseen animals; the chirrup of colourful birds. Born and raised a city boy, Isham found untamed nature as alien as village life. Yet calming, in an odd way, and strangely fascinating.

He repressed an urge to hum, mindful of the need to stay silent, and turned his thoughts to the future. He was one of the few humans in Felarya -outside Negav at least- who had the luxury to imagine a future. He was not exactly safe - the recent attack on the village by a giant had demonstrated that. But he was safer than most humans wandering through the forest. He had had the extreme good fortune of being protected, first by Milly, now by Jade.

Unlike the unknown number of humans that Milly had eaten since he had left. Arriving here often by accident, caught and devoured before they could figure out an escape, digested alive for her nourishment… He tried not to shiver. The question came to him yet again, unwanted but inevitable:

How can I care so much for someone like that?

Jade's example had shown him, beyond all doubt, that Milly did have a choice. She could change, if she wanted to. It was a matter of willpower, of overcoming her selfishness, of recognising that her enjoyment of food was not worth the pain and terror it inflicted. He had tried to show her that. She had not wanted to listen. It made her uncomfortable.

Which brought him back to the question of his own future. If he could not live with Milly, that left remaining in Safe Harbour as one of his only two options. The other being, of course… to go home.

He slowed in his walking, and eventually stopped, as he mulled that over. The thought had seemed almost to pop into his mind, and it left him rather surprised. He had not given it that much consideration, until now. It was, after all, possible. He had arrived here through the gate at Ur-Sagol, on Felarya Express. It had been a wild, terrifying ride, and he had been almost the only survivor. In a sense, it seemed almost a lifetime ago. But he could still go back. Step through the gate, leave Felarya, and make his way home. He bit his lip, thinking.

It would mean leaving Milly. They would not see each other again. But had he not already left her?

There was a rustle among the trees. The sound of something heavy, moving quietly, towards him. He stopped, and tensed, his eyes probing the spaces between the trees. He turned-

“Well hello there, sugar!”

The voice was feminine, pleased, and playful. He looked up, staring, at the giant naga towering over him. She had dark scales, mocha skin, and long, lovely brown hair. Her pretty face was smiling, teasing, a hunger reflected in her beautiful green eyes. Nor could he help but notice that her bare breasts were -even proportionally speaking- the largest he had ever seen, their ample bulges swelling out high above him. He stood still, and gulped.

“Tongue-tied, sugar?” she laughed. “We'll soon sort that out. Come here.” She slithered up closer to him. Jarred into motion, he backpedalled, almost tripping over himself.

“You can't eat me!” he blurted out, eyes wide with fear.

“Oh, hun, I think I can,” she chided sweetly, and smiled. “My tummy thinks so too.” She rubbed her belly - a slow, strangely sensual caress. “I'm hungry… But you can help me with something else first.” She winked, and her hand slipped down below her belly, with unmistakable meaning. Isham followed it, and stared with a numbing mixture of fright and arousal at her nakedness, and what her fingers were doing to it.

Struggling for a clear mind, he pulled himself together long enough to shout: “I'm from Safe Harbour! You really can't eat me!”

Malika slowed, looked down at him, and pouted. It was a cute pout, and, in view of the situation, rather disturbing.

“Awww…” she complained. “That's no fun at all.” He jumped, with a gasp, as her tail whipped round behind him and nudged him in the back. She giggled, reached down, and picked him up. Her hand was warm, soft and incredibly strong. “What if we keep it a secret?” she whispered, sensuously. “I could just eat you, and neither you or I would ever tell Jade.” She giggled at the look of fright on his face. “Don't worry, hun. I'm just teasing. If you're one of Jade's, you're not going in my belly.” Those lovely green eyes of hers twinkled. “But you are going somewhere else.”

“Um…” He cringed in her hand. “I think I'd rather not.” He had to force the words out, as his most primal instincts battled within him, tearing him between fear for his survival, and the rapidly rising, raging call of lust.

The naga gave him a rather surprised look, soon followed by one of gentle reproach. “Sugar, you're not thinking. When a beautiful lady makes you that kind of offer, you don't refuse.” She smiled. “And I do insist. Trust me; I'll make it unforgettable.”

“But I…” He stopped, uncertain of his own thoughts. Something nagged at him, powerful yet elusive. An urge stronger than lust, demanding that he resist. Perhaps it was the fact that, the last time a giant naga had used him in this way, she had then swallowed him and begun to digest him, until he lost consciousness, stewing in her stomach acids. Or perhaps it was something else. His mind seemed too numbed to think.

“But nothing,” the naga assured him. Gracefully, she lay down on her side, still clasping him in her hand. She gave him a lovely, hungry smile, full of lust and promise. “My name's Malika, by the way. And you, sugar,” she whispered, “are going to enjoy this…”

* * *

The setting sun found Milly outside her hut, seated on the grass with her back to its front wall, her legs -bare beneath the thighs- stretched out before her, her eyes gazing idly straight ahead, at the shimmering shadows born to the fading light.

Her expression was faintly troubled. There were slight crease marks on her youthful, usually smooth forehead, and her dark eyes looked solemn, as though turned inwards at her own thoughts. Her left forearm was raised, propped behind her head as an impromptu cushion, softer than the hard wood of the wall. Her right hand rested lightly on her full tummy. The four nekos she had eaten for dinner were still struggling, a little. It was a pleasant feeling, but she paid it little attention.

“You're looking thoughtful.”

She turned her head, her dark hair swishing gently over her shoulders, towards the door of her hut. She had left it half-open, and she could just see a tiny figure climbing cautiously down onto the grassy earth. Although she was too minuscule to identify clearly, her voice, and short blond hair, gave her away. Milly smiled.

“Hi there, Tina.” She got up, and moved to sit closer to her, careful not to crush her as she settled. “It's a pleasant evening.” She picked her tomthumb friend up, very carefully, then folded her legs, and placed her on her knee. Tina promptly sat down, crossing her legs in turn.

“Is that why you're sitting outside?”

“I felt I could do with some fresh air. It's not as warm in the evening. It helps clear my mind.”

Tina considered that. It was difficult for Milly to make out the details of her face, but she too now seemed thoughtful. About seven centimetres tall, she was the antithesis to Milly's towering twenty-three metres. They were different in other ways too. Tina's short-cut, often ruffled, almost tomboyish blond hair contrasted with Milly's long, smooth, glossy black hair, which she felt rather proud of. The giantess' friendly, disconcertingly gentle nature stood in contrast, also, to the tomthumb's more cautious side. Milly would talk to anyone; Tina was warm towards her friends, but -unless she was in a particularly good mood- reserved in the presence of strangers. At least if those strangers might prove dangerous. The two women's outlook on life was shaped by their size. A giant predator, Milly had little to fear from anyone, while Tina was all too conscious of her place on the food chain. It had given the tiny young woman a certain hardness which was absent from her giantess friend.

“I bet I can guess why your mind needed clearing,” she said, her tone serious.

Milly gave a slight nod. “I miss him.” There was no need for her to explain who `him' was.

“Well, I suppose you would.” Tina shrugged. “At least tell me you're not feeling guilty.” Milly's expression was all the answer she needed. She sighed. “Oh, Milly. You've got nothing to feel bad about.”

“I drove him away.”

“No,” Tina disagreed firmly. “He chose to leave.”

“Because of me.”

“Because you wouldn't give in to his demands.” Tina frowned. “Is it still bothering you? He had no right to make those demands. You tried to give him what he asked for, and in reply he just asked for more.”

The giantess looked at her, solemnly. For a moment, she was quiet. “You don't like him,” she said at last.

Tina breathed out another sigh, and unfolded her legs, dangling them down the side of Milly's gigantic knee.

“I didn't mind him at first. But I don't like what he tried to do to you. It wasn't nice. You treated him as a friend, and he tried to bully you.” She looked up into her dark, troubled eyes. “Seriously, Milly. You have nothing to feel bad about. I mean it. You've done nothing wrong. He came into your life, and he tried to change it. That wasn't right.”

Again, Milly was silent for a while.

“I don't know,” she said at last, in a whisper.

Tina gave her a sympathetic look. “Listen… I know he means something to you. You care about him. It… Well, things didn't quite work out between you. And I'm really sorry about that. Really I am. I can't pretend I liked him, but his leaving… It's made you unhappy. I don't like seeing you unhappy. I'm sure you'll get over it, but…” She paused. The words that followed were not easy to say. “You know, he's not gone from your life completely.”

“He is, pretty much.” Inside Milly's stomach, one of the nekos dealt her one last punch with all the strength he had left, then slipped down, almost unconscious, defeated. Two others had already lost consciousness. The fourth was whimpering in the darkness, as the stifling heat made him dizzy, and the stinging liquid of acids lapped at his skin. Milly's stomach gurgled, producing more acids, preparing to digest her dinner more thoroughly. She gave it no thought whatsoever. “When I went to see him, it didn't go well. It was…” She struggled for the right words. “Uncomfortable. We've lost that… that warmth, between us. We used to feel comfortable together.”

Tina looked at her solemnly, absorbing that with some dismay. “He means that much to you, doesn't he?”

Milly nodded, silently, her eyes moistening despite herself.

“It's silly…” she whispered. “He's only a human…”

“No,” Tina told her, softly. “To you, he's more than that.” She patted her friend's bare knee, giving her what comfort she could. “I'm sorry,” she said, and meant it. “But give it time. Maybe, one day… Well, who knows? Right now, it's too soon. You can't talk to each other yet. You can't… get past your differences. But if it really is important, if you continue to miss him… Just give it time, Milly.”

Milly smiled, grateful. “Thank you, Tina. You're a good friend.” She touched her friend's arm very gently with the tip of her finger, a gesture of affection. Tina returned the smile, and stood, atop her knee.

“I do try. Come on, let's try and get you thinking of something else. Something to take your mind off it.”

The giantess brightened. “Oh, that reminds me! I wanted to show you the garden. I've been working on it today. I've planted some new vegetable seeds. I'm not sure how long they'll take to grow, but you know all about growing things; you can tell me what you think.”

Tina beamed at her, glad they were moving on to a topic that could make her friend smile. “I'd be happy to! Let's go and have a look, then.”

“All right.” Still smiling, Milly picked her up, stood in turn, and held her nestled carefully in the palm of her upturned hand. The giantess' stomach gurgled as she moved, liquids within it sloshing over her now motionless dinner, working hard on digestion. An ordinary process. She would never think about those nekos again. And, for the time being, she was able to push aside her thoughts for Isham too, her troubled feelings. With a soft, eager smile on her face, content in the company of her closest tomthumb friend, she took Tina round the back of the hut, to her vegetable garden…

* * *

It was an exhausted Isham, drenched and sticky with Malika's most intimate juices, who was finally pulled free from the naga's warm confines, into the fresh afternoon air. She set him down on the grass, whereupon his legs promptly buckled, and he collapsed onto his backside, panting for breath. His entire body remained atingle with the after-effects of exquisite pleasure, the breathless sexual frenzy Malika had -quite literally- thrust him into.

The naga smirked, pleased with herself.

“Tell me you liked that, sugar.”

“It was…” He gasped, still catching his breath. Although part of him felt violated, even humiliated, the experience had been amazing. He could not deny the overwhelming pleasure he had felt, his mind dissolving into the bliss of hot passion, of pure sensual extasy.

Malika giggled. “I thought so.” Her stomach produced a wet, audible gurgle. Unbeknown to Isham, it was emptying itself of its contents, the catgirl Malika had eaten a little earlier. Chimayel's now liquid remains flowed smoothly into into the naga's intestine, leaving her belly empty once more. Isham looked at her gurgling stomach with some worry. She grinned, showing her lovely white teeth. “Don't worry. I promised not to eat you. And you've given me enough satisfaction.” She yawned a little -her pink, lethal mouth open for a moment-, stretched, and straightened up. “Having said that, all this… exercise” -she grinned again- “has made me hungry. I think I'll find myself some lunch, and then have a nap.” She winked at him. “You look a bit tired, hun. You may want to do the same.”

Isham gulped, and nodded, his breathing slowly returning to normal. Malika gazed down at him. There was a curious look in her lovely green eyes.

“You were thinking of someone else,” she said.

He stared at her, startled. “What?”

“While we were having sex,” she said, quite casually, though with a hint of amusement and interest in her voice. “You were thinking of someone. For a while, at least, you pretended I was someone else. I know you did.”

Isham blushed bright red, and Malika laughed.

“It's all right,” she told him, playfully. “I'm not offended.” She gave him that wide grin. “It was fun meeting you, sugar. Now you should get back to the village.”

He nodded, again, a little dazed, his cheeks still red, and got to his feet, taking a moment to catch his balance. She gave him a final, distinctly naughty smile, and wriggled off, swaying sensuously with every slither of her snake body. He watched her go, and wiped some of her warm stickiness off his face. He dried his hands as best he could on the grass and, shivering a little, picked up his clothes.

As he walked back towards Safe Harbour, he found he was uncertain what he felt more embarassed about. His casual, sexual encounter with the lustful naga -who, he realised suddenly, had not even bothered to ask his name-, or the words he had spoken at the end. She was far more perceptive than she seemed at first glance. Despite himself, he had been thinking of someone else. And he felt distinctly guilty about it.

It had planted a new thought, a new awareness in his mind, and there was no avoiding it now. He knew it was going to weigh on him for a while.

He sighed, brushing his hand through his still sticky hair.

As though he hadn't got enough to worry about already.

THE END